Tales from the Organ Trade (2013)
Tales from the Organ Trade (2013)
82 mins./56 mins. - HBO Documentary Films, SHAW MEDIA & CANAL D
PRESENTLY IN THE ASSOCIATED PRODUCERS LTD. LIBRARY
TALES FROM THE ORGAN TRADE (2013)
PRESENTLY IN THE ASSOCIATED PRODUCERS LTD. LIBRARY
82 mins./56 mins. • HBO Documentary Films, SHAW MEDIA, CANAL D & ZDF-ARTE
WINNER OF OVER 25 AWARDS INCLUDING THE EDWARD R. MURROW AWARD,
4 CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS, 2 AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AWARDS AND 2 EMMY NOMINATIONS.
OFFICIAL SELECTION AT 40 FESTIVALS
CREDITS
Written and Directed by RIC ESTHER BIENSTOCK
Producers RIC ESTHER BIENSTOCK, FELIX GOLUBEV & SIMCHA JACOBOVICI
Narrator DAVID CRONENBERG
Editor STEVE WESLAK
Graphics and Animation ANDREW EMSLIE
Composer JOHN WELSMAN
Director of Photography FRANK VILACA CSC, MICHAEL ELLIS CSC & KENNETH NG
Sound Recordist TOBAN MILLS & PETER SAWADE
Story Consultant ALLEN ABEL
ASSOCIATED PRODUCERS LTD PRODUCTION
IN ASSOCIATION WITH HBO DOCUMENTARY FILMS, SHAW MEDIA & CANAL D
PRODUCED WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF
THE CANADIAN MEDIA FUND, THE ROGERS DOCUMENTARY FUND
& THE ROGERS CABLE NETWORK FUND
WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE CANADIAN FILM OR VIDEO PRODUCTION TAX CREDIT & THE ONTARIO
FILM AND TELEVISION TAX CREDIT
“…a serious, superb and essential documentary . . . one of the most impressive and incisive works of investigative journalism I’ve seen onscreen in a long time . . . a virtuosic feat of story-telling.”
Every 60 minutes, somewhere in the world, a human organ is sold on the black market.
TALES FROM THE ORGAN TRADE is a gritty and unflinching descent into the shadowy world of black-market organ trafficking: the street-level brokers, the rogue surgeons, the impoverished men and women who are willing to sacrifice a slice of their own bodies for a quick payday, and the desperate patients who face the agonizing choice of obeying the law or saving their lives.
With unprecedented access to all the players – the buyers, sellers, surgeons and brokers - the film explores the legal, moral and ethical issues involved in this life and death drama. This is not a black and white story of exploitation, but rather, a nuanced and complex tale of survival for both the buyers and sellers. This is a world where the villains often save liveswhile, all to often, a helpless medical establishment watches people die.
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SELECTED AWARDS
Edward R Murrow Award, Overseas Press Club of America, USA
Donald Brittain Award, Best Social/Political Documentary Program, Canadian Screen Awards, Canada
Nominated, Emmy Award, Outstanding Investigative Journalism - Long Form, USA
Nominated, Emmy Award, Best Writing
Barbara Sears Awards, Best Editorial Research, Canadian Screen Awards, Canada
Canadian Screen Award, Best Writing in a Documentary Program or Factual Series, Canada
